SAN FRANCISCO -- Gov. Jerry Brown
formally proclaimed California in a drought
Friday, saying the state is in the midst of perhaps the worst dry spell it has
seen in a century, and the conditions are putting residents and their property
in "extreme peril."

Brown made the announcement in San
Francisco amid increasing pressure in recent weeks from the state's lawmakers,
including Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein.

The proclamation allows California to
request a broad emergency declaration from President Barack Obama, which would
expedite some water transfers, provide financial assistance and suspend some
state and federal regulations.

"Today, I'm declaring a drought emergency in the state of California
because we're facing perhaps the worst drought
California has ever seen since records began being kept 100 years ago,"
Brown said.

The drought
and water shortage are creating "conditions of extreme peril to the safety
of persons and property" in the state, the proclamation said. For example,
some cities are in danger of running out of water, and people in farming
communities that will not be able to find work will need assistance getting
food.

Brown spoke against the backdrop of a
chart with statewide average precipitation by year dating back to 1970 and a
satellite image of California in January 2013 and January 2014 side by side
that showed the state's dwindling snowpack.

He encouraged people to voluntarily
conserve water but said his administration is considering a mandatory
conservation order.

"I think the drought emphasizes that we do live in an era
of limits, that nature has its boundaries," the governor said.

The U.S. Drought
Monitor has reported extreme drought
conditions in central and northern California, and there has been little
snowfall so far this winter.

Precipitation in most of the state is
less than 20 percent of normal, and reservoirs are dwindling. Forecasts suggest
the dry spell could continue, exacerbating the already heightened fire danger.

The proclamation came as firefighters
chased flare-ups in a damaging wildfire that has kept thousands of people from
their homes in the foothill suburbs northeast of Los Angeles.

The fire around Glendora has swept
through about 2 1/2 square miles of tinder-dry chaparral and destroyed five
homes. It was 30 percent contained.

A leading Republican lawmaker praised
Brown's announcement but said the excessively dry conditions already have had a
deep impact in Central Valley farming communities.

"Today's drought declaration is better late than
never," said Connie Conway of Tulare, the Assembly minority leader.

She said the declaration will be a
"sign of hope" for farmers and field hands in one of the nation's
most important agricultural regions.

Droughts also are persisting
or intensifying elsewhere in the West.

On Wednesday, federal officials said
they were designating portions of 11 drought-ridden
western and central states as primary natural disaster areas, highlighting the
financial strain the lack of rain is likely to bring to farmers in those
regions.

The announcement by the U.S.
Department of Agriculture included counties in Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada,
Kansas, Texas, Utah, Arkansas, Hawaii, Idaho, Oklahoma and California. The
designation means eligible farmers can qualify for low-interest emergency loans
from the department.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said
he and Obama want to ensure that agriculture remains a bright spot in the
nation's economy.

Officials with the U.S. Drought Monitor say a ridge of high pressure
is to blame for keeping storms off the Pacific coast and guiding them to the
East. Poor snowpack also is threatening regions dependent on major western
rivers.

Patzert says what's known as "Pacific decadal oscillation" has
warmed waters in the upper Pacific. That has created a strong high pressure
system pushing the jet stream north. It's so persistent meteorologists have
nicknamed it "The Triple R": ridiculously resilient ridge of high
pressure.